From Rhetoric to Action:From Rhetoric to Action:

Strengthening Communications to End Polio

GPMT14 June, 2013

Approximately 1.2% of targeted children < 5 in the global sanctuaries are not vaccinated due to

refusal

Children missed due to refusals in global sanctuaries (%), March 2013

The proportion of caregivers who refuse are only the tip of the iceberg as an indication of high-risk community sentiment and discourse about OPV and the polio programme

New social data needed to gauge public sentiment following violence

Tip of the IcebergTip of the Iceberg

Strengthening trust - in the Strengthening trust - in the programme, the vaccine, and programme, the vaccine, and the frontline workers - can the frontline workers - can unlock the final doors to unlock the final doors to eradicationeradication

1. Demonstrating genuine concern for children

4 Dimensions to Strengthening Trust

Are we listening to communities?

•The programme must be seen to provide other services that protect children, based on real community demand

•Participatory appraisals & integrated service delivery

•In the most insecure areas, respond to community concerns about OPV delivery: record keeping, data, house marking.

•Are there other ways to deliver the programme that can demonstrate sincerity and generate greater trust?

4 Dimensions to Strengthened Trust2. Competence

•The vaccine

Building confidence in the efficacy of the vaccine. Proactively answering the question “why so many times” is becoming increasingly critical

•The frontline workers

Frontline workers must be knowledgeable, confident, and must be able to position OPV as one way to protect children from all vaccine preventable diseases. Are IPC skills currently sufficient?

•The programme

The programme must effectively deliver other services with similar intensity as polio vaccine in focused areas of the reservoirs; and showcase success

4 Dimensions to Strengthened Trust

3. Morality

Are the faces of the programme perceived as moral members of community who genuinely care about children’s well-being?

Government ownership is criticalGPEI leadership is important

But the face of the programme – and external communication about it - must consistently remain in accordance with local, moral standards

Somali President endorses Polio CampaignJune 12, 2013

Is this the most appropriate face of the programme to gain trust in our highest risk areas?

Over 80% of refusals in northern Nigeria are converted by traditional, religious and community leaders

4: Honesty

4 Dimensions to Strengthened Trust

•The programme’s objectives and the methods it uses to achieve them must be transparent and understood by everyone

•Clear communication condemning OBL incident immediately after it happened would have won the programme quick credibility and trust

•OPV ingredients & manufacturing details. Can labels be more clear?

•Communicating cVDPV more transparently

The polio programme needs to The polio programme needs to reposition itself as a shield to reposition itself as a shield to protect children, rather than a protect children, rather than a

programme targeting communitiesprogramme targeting communities

Unlocking the final doors will require a truly integrated programme

Comm

unications

Comm

unications Operations

Operations

IMB

The IMB is “deeply concerned by the Global Programme’s weak grip weak grip on…communications

and social mobilization…”

“Communications expertise is sparse sparse throughoutthroughout. “

“We have warned of this weakness We have warned of this weakness for some time and it has not been addressed. NowNow it is a it is a

real and present danger to eradicationreal and present danger to eradication.”

“UNICEF, the lead agency for communications, is underpoweredunderpowered...

External observers described UNICEF’s Polio teams UNICEF’s Polio teams in the endemic countries – but its headquarters team in

particular – as “decimateddecimated.”

UNICEF Global Capacity for Communications

• UNICEF Scale Up – began in 2010

• Approximately 70 new communication staff added globally• Over 4,000 new social mobilizers added

But Communication challenges of 2010 were differentWe under-estimated the appropriate need and capacity

• Internal Management Reviews conducted in 2012/2013 to review capacity in light of new context

 UNICEF Communication Staff in Endemic Countries

  

 

C4D Manager C4D/Soc MobSocMob Network

Training MediaHigh Risk

FocusM&E Total

AFG   3 1      1 5

PAK* 1 3 4 2 7 17 25

NIG 1 4 2 2 2  2 13

HQ: 10 new posts Pakistan: 8 new postsAfghanistan: 14 new postsNigeria: Management Review required

*Pakistan’s staff is reflective of new staff after September 2012 management review

2012-2013 Internal Management Review Recommendations

Recruitment still ongoing for all areas. HR challenges remain one of the largest obstacles to an effective communications programme

Communication Priorities: UNICEF

• HR: Revisit capacity needs again & identify ways to fast-track recruitment

• Accountability: Management Dashboard tracked by OED

• Data: Standardized, high quality social data that is rapid and measures GPEI’s progress towards gaining Trust – Harvard Polling

• Leverage greater communication expertise to develop global and country strategies– BrainTrust

• Coordinated plan to enhance communications across the GPEI

IMB

“The blame does not lie solely with UNICEF. To view communications as the responsibility of a

single agency is unsophisticated and bureaucratic. Communication is everybody’s Communication is everybody’s

business. business.

Making communications everybody’s business

• Fully integrate communications into the programme:

– Joint microplanning– Joint training and selection of teams – Joint monitoring: Investigation processes, dashboards and

accountability mechanisms– Increasing Communication expertise and focus in TAGs – Implement GPEI communication efforts under one

coordinated strategy, particularly within the Islamic Advisory Committee

“Rhetoric says ‘communication is key’ but reality says ‘our reality says ‘our focus is elsewherefocus is elsewhere’”

It’s time to move rhetoric into action

Thank you